This document summarizes a review paper on the design aspects of high temperature superconducting (HTS) synchronous machines. It discusses various topologies of HTS synchronous machines that have been demonstrated globally, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Key design considerations for electromagnetic, mechanical, thermal, and vacuum systems of a typical HTS synchronous machine are also outlined. Applications of HTS synchronous machines in areas like ship propulsion, wind power generation, turbo generators and aircraft propulsion are mentioned.
This document summarizes a review paper on the design aspects of high temperature superconducting (HTS) synchronous machines. It discusses various topologies of HTS synchronous machines that have been demonstrated globally, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Key design considerations for electromagnetic, mechanical, thermal, and vacuum systems of a typical HTS synchronous machine are also outlined. Applications of HTS synchronous machines in areas like ship propulsion, wind power generation, turbo generators and aircraft propulsion are mentioned.
This document summarizes a review paper on the design aspects of high temperature superconducting (HTS) synchronous machines. It discusses various topologies of HTS synchronous machines that have been demonstrated globally, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Key design considerations for electromagnetic, mechanical, thermal, and vacuum systems of a typical HTS synchronous machine are also outlined. Applications of HTS synchronous machines in areas like ship propulsion, wind power generation, turbo generators and aircraft propulsion are mentioned.
This document summarizes a review paper on the design aspects of high temperature superconducting (HTS) synchronous machines. It discusses various topologies of HTS synchronous machines that have been demonstrated globally, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Key design considerations for electromagnetic, mechanical, thermal, and vacuum systems of a typical HTS synchronous machine are also outlined. Applications of HTS synchronous machines in areas like ship propulsion, wind power generation, turbo generators and aircraft propulsion are mentioned.
Proceedings of the National Conference on Cryogenics for Space (NCCS-2019)
December 12-14, 2019, LPSC, Thiruvananthapuram, India.
NCCS-2019-1082
A Review on Design Aspects for Development of High
Temperature Superconducting (HTS) Synchronous Machines V A S Muralidhar Bathula1*, D K Sharma1, Abhay S Gour2, U K Choudhury1, V V Rao2
1BHELCorporate R&D Division, Vikasnagar, Hyderabad 500 093, India
2Cryogenic Engineering Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal - 721 302, India *Corresponding Author: bmuralidhar@bhel.in
ABSTRACT superconductivity. Synchronous machines with HTS
windings shows various advantages like increase in power This paper presents the details of High Temperature density, reduction in mass, increase in efficiency at all Superconducting (HTS) synchronous machines for various operating loads - down to even 5% of full load, very low industrial and strategic applications. The researchers and acoustic noise, good transient stability, low synchronous industries around the globe have successfully demonstrated reactance, small load angle, enhanced grid stability, low and tested many HTS synchronous machines with various harmonic content, increased fatigue reliability, lower life- topologies. A brief account on some of these promising cycle cost, reduced capital cost, and less maintenance over topologies along with their pros and cons has been presented. conventional copper wound machines [1,2]. Various electrical, mechanical and thermal design aspects taken into considerations while designing a typical HTS synchronous machines have also been discussed. The worldwide developments in HTS synchronous machines are also presented. Keywords: High Temperature Superconducting Machines, HTS Synchronous Machines
INTRODUCTION
The discovery of high temperature superconductors (HTS)
in 1986 has brought a landmark revolution in the development Figure 1. Discovery of HTS materials with successively of superconducting machines. Since then, the discovery of higher critical temperatures over past century superconducting materials with even higher critical temperatures was going on over the past century as shown in Due to commercially available long length HTS tapes, figure 1. Nowadays the high temperature superconductors can availability of higher capacity cryocoolers and advantages of operate with very high current densities along with HTS technology, the researchers focused on development of unprecedentedly higher temperature ranges at self as well as HTS synchronous machines for various applications like low external magnetic fields. The wider operating temperature speed ship propulsion motors, low speed wind generators, ranges (25K to 77K) of HTS tapes along with simplifications high speed turbo generators, high speed air craft propulsion in cryocooling systems have grabbed the attention of multiple motors etc. These developments also showed the extreme industries exploring the applicability of unique characteristics reduction in machine size and weight, higher efficiency, lower of superconducting machines like high degree of noise and better operating characteristics at various compactness, higher efficiency, larger torque to weight ratio applications. etc. In this paper, globally available various design topologies of In general, synchronous machine rotates at constant speed high temperature superconducting (HTS) machines have been and depending on applications, it can be operated as motor, reviewed and discussed with their pros and cons. The generator or synchronous condenser. It has stator with AC worldwide developments in HTS synchronous machines also three phase winding and rotor with DC field winding. presented. The electromagnetic, mechanical, thermal By using HTS tapes in place of conventional copper (cryogenic) and vacuum system design aspects for developing winding, the copper losses (I2R losses) can be practically a typical HTS synchronous machine consisting air core copper eliminated, since the winding resistance is zero due to wound stator and HTS rotor are discussed. APPLICATIONS OF HTS SYNCHRONOUS thousand rpm [7]. Around the globe, several attempts have MACHINES been tried with various topologies to meet these high-end requirements. In both marine and aerospace applications, the There are a series of applications utilizing various special metallic components involved in the system must be designed features of electrical machines. Some of power utility motors for reduced mass on board. and generators look for ease of operation along with higher efficiency, while aerospace and marine applications aim for VARIOUS TOPOLOGIES OF HTS SYNCHRONOUS light weight and compactness with pretty good efficiencies. MACHINE On the other hand, wind electricity generation calls for electric generators having low weight, compact size and high In the conventional electric machine, the highest operating efficiency. Among all, each application stresses upon high magnetic flux density is limited by the saturation flux density reliability and low maintenance during operation. of core material, while in case of superconducting field The discovery of high temperature superconductors (HTS) windings in air core configuration, the operating magnetic flux made it possible to proliferate the usage of superconductivity density is limited by the peak value of parallel and in various types and topologies of electrical machine. Now perpendicular magnetic fields generated by it. This very high superconducting machines can be operated between 25 K and magnetic flux density offers higher torque density in the 77 K, the cryogenic cooling system has simplified a lot. This superconducting machine. On the other hand, if magnetic core allowed the development of many experimental and full-scale design is adopted for superconducting coils, then amount of electric machines right from electrical utility to aerospace wire required to generate the required magnetic field is quite applications utilizing various benefits offered by low because of higher magnetic permeability of core with superconductivity. There were attempts to make motors and respect to air. generators of various speed, for example very low speed (upto The torque transmission poses a challenge in air cored 10 rpm) generators for wind applications, low speed motors systems because the electromagnetic forces experienced by (100-250 rpm) for marine propulsion, medium to high speed superconducting field coils have to be transferred to a room (1800 to 3000 rpm and even above) motors and generators for temperature warm shaft through a lower thermal conductivity electric utility etc. The key benefits utilised by all industries torque tube. In magnetic cored design, the generated torque is with these HTS machines are light weight, small size and high easily transmitted through the warm steel or magnetic alloy efficiency. shaft. The power industry utilizes many benefits of There are mainly two design configurations for stator of HTS superconducting machines like compact sizes, smaller synchronous machines, viz. classical magnetic core based weights, higher efficiencies even at partial loads, low copper windings or air gap based copper windings. In case of synchronous reactance offering better stability and smaller stator with magnetic core having high permeability material, voltage regulation etc. On the other hand, low synchronous there is a possibility to retrofit existing machines with HTS and sub-synchronous reactances cause large short circuit rotor which can also be upgraded with classical approaches for currents. The light weight of HTS machine constrains the increased machine rating. But moderately low saturation flux transient response to some extent [3]. densities of commercially available core materials put a limit Wind application generators operate at very low speeds; on improvements in machine rating. hence, their size is enormously large. Also, the weight of The air gap based copper windings design is best suited generator, turbine and gearbox put together is so large that the scheme for getting the full advantage of HTS Technology. It design of tower on which they are mounted is highly complex consists of non–magnetic air core stator where copper and bulky. The compact size and lower weight offered by HTS windings are placed in the air gap between stator (yoke) and machines can not only reduce the load on its tower, it can also superconducting rotor without any magnetic teeth. Mostly the be directly coupled with low speed turbine. The efficiency of stator slots are carved out of composite fibre-reinforced plastic HTS machine is quite high rightly from lightly loaded (FRP) based materials which offer almost same magnetic condition to full load condition. Also, it has potential to reduce permeability as of air. Though the required length of HTS wire the complexity and bulkiness of towers which can further and associated costs are high, this configuration gives reduce the capital cost involved in wind power production [4]. unmatchable compactness and weight in MW class power Strategic applications like marine propulsion and aerospace machines. This is possible due to unprecedentedly high industry look for very low weight along with compact size for magnetic flux densities offered by superconducting coils. their main propulsion system. Marine propulsion, in addition, Since stator teeth and slots are made of thermally insulating requires low noise and vibration levels. The cylindrical rotor material, thermal management of stator has to be meticulously design of HTS motor offers inherently very low acoustic noise deliberated. and vibrations. Since the marine propulsion motors are There are various topologies developed for HTS required to run at very low speeds, the high efficiency along synchronous machine across the globe by several academia with compact size make it a suitable candidate all this kind of and industries. Considering all of them, there are three broad systems [5,6]. Moreover, for aerospace industry, the speed categories, first rotor having superconducting coils on solid requirement for generators as well as motors is still higher. shaft along with stator having copper windings, second rotor These motors and generators are supposed to run at several having superconducting coils on hollow shaft along with stator having copper windings and third both rotor and stator having Figure 3. Schematic of solid shaft cold rotor configuration superconducting windings. The first two can be termed as (1-pole core (ferromagnetic material), 2-pole shoe semi-superconducting or partially superconducting topologies (ferromagnetic material), 3- HTS coil, 4-coil spacers, 5-cold and the third one can be termed as fully-superconducting electromagnetic shield (oxygen free Cu Inconnel 718), 6- rotor topology. There are many other configurations and topologies yoke (ferromagnetic material), 7-stainless non-magnetic specific to various applications like marine, wind power, bushing, 8- end disk (stainless non-magnetic steel), 9-support industries, aviation etc. of HTS end connections (nonmagnetic and nonconductive In the first semi-superconducting topology where rotor is material) [8] having superconducting coils on solid shaft and stator is having copper windings, there can be two further topologies In the second semi-superconducting topology where rotor is viz solid shaft warm rotor configuration and solid shaft cold having superconducting coils on hollow shaft and stator is rotor configuration. In solid shaft warm rotor configuration, having copper windings, the support structure and cryogenic warm rotor implies that magnetic core of the machine is kept circuit for superconducting field coils are made of non- at ambient temperature and only superconducting field coils magnetic materials so that design can be followed considering are cryocooled. The primary advantage offered by this fully air-cored machine [8]. configuration is lesser cold mass and application of cryocooler with reduced capacity. Also, the cool down time needed to cool the superconducting coils of machine from ambient temperature to operating cryogenic temperature is shortened. This configuration is mostly suited to large size turbo- generators. Care must be taken in mechanical and thermal design of rotor to connect a cryogenically cooled complex superconducting field coil support structure to ambient Figure 4. Schematic of hollow shaft rotor configuration (1- temperature solid shaft. Figure 2 shows the schematic of solid HTS coil, 2-torque tube, 3-electromagnetic shield, 4-turbine shaft HTS rotor. end shaft, 5-collector end shaft, 6-transfer coupling) [8] The superconducting field coils are either conduction or convection cooled. Current research thrust is on this type of configuration. Because of non-saturation of core, superconductivity can be utilized at its best in magnetic flux density and torque density aspects. Though removing the magnetic core introduces complexities and challenges in the design of cryogenic circuit and support structure for superconducting field coils, there is another major challenge Figure 2. Schematic of solid shaft warm rotor configuration in torque transmission from superconducting coils to warm (1-HTS coil, 2-rotor body, 3-vacuum enclosure, 4- rotor shafts. Figure 4 shows the schematic of air core hollow electromagnetic shield, 5-spacer, 6-oil seal lands, 7-bearing shaft HTS rotor configuration. center, 8-coupling flange, 9-turbine end stub shaft flange, 10- In the third fully-superconducting topology where rotor field colletor end stub shaft flange, 11-collector and cryogenic and stator armature both are having superconducting coils, connections) [8] armature electrical loading can also be increased noticeably and a considerably high efficiency can be attained by In solid shaft cold rotor configuration, cold rotor implies that significantly reducing the armature copper losses. Machines in addition to cryocooling superconducting field coils, having this type of configuration are projected to be superior magnetic core of the machine is also maintained at cryogenic to the semi-superconducting machines. An example temperature. In this case, the cryogenic cooling circuit is little configuration being pursued by NASA is shown in figure 5. simpler because the superconducting field coils are mechanically embraced in rotor core. Now, since the cold mass is more, the required capacity of cryocooler is also more. This also give rise to cool-down time required to cool the superconducting coils of machine from ambient temperature to operating cryogenic temperature. Figure 3 shows the schematic of solid shaft cold HTS rotor.
Figure 5. Image of fully superconducting machine
configuration being developed by NASA[10] DESIGN ASPECTS FOR HTS SYNCHRONOUS conducting support structure for the copper armature winding MACHINE DEVELOPMENT is located inside the frame. The armature copper winding lies just outside the air gap. It Development of HTS synchronous machine calls for multi- must be constructed from transposed conductors to reduce physics environment based approach involving various circulating current losses. In conventional machine conductors engineering domains like electromagnetic, mechanical, lie between high permeability teeth which redirect the flux thermal (cryogenic), vacuum etc. Electromagnetic design away from the conductors so that only the slot leakage flux includes finalisation of stator and rotor dimensions & ampere actually penetrates the copper. In the superconducting motor, turns requirement, criteria for selection of HTS tapes, design since the armature conductors see the entire air gap flux of HTS field coils, design of stator coils etc. Mechanical density, the armature winding must be carefully designed to design confirms the dimensions of rotor shaft, stator frame, minimize eddy current losses. The cooling method of stator bearing details, coil-holding arrangement, rotary feed through depends on current density level of stator conductors. Forced etc. Thermal design deliberates on required cryocooler air cooled or water cooled or forced water cooled copper capacity, material selection for different rotor components, conductor stators are some options for cooling the stator. selection of cryogenic fluid, torque tube details, cryogen flow Under steady state operation, the machine rotor rotates in arrangement etc. Vacuum system design considers vacuum synchronism with the rotating field created by the three phase level requirement, pump selection, pumping port size etc. [11- armature currents and hence, superconducting field windings 18]. In this section, a typical airgap copper winding stator and experience only DC magnetic fields. Under load or source HTS rotor topology has been taken and the design of different transients, however, the rotor will move with respect to the components of this topology in all these aspects viz. armature created rotating field and experience AC fields. electromagnetic, mechanical, cryogenics and vacuum are Damping will be provided by concentric conducting shells discussed. located outside of rotor which is rotating with the HTS field The major components of HTS rotor are HTS field coils, winding. The shells must also act to shield the field winding field coil support structure, torque tubes, vacuum enclosure, from all AC fields created during transients to prevent AC cryogenic cooling lines, magnetic shields, radiation shields, losses in the superconductors. A two layer shielding structure helium transfer coupling, vacuum port etc. The design of HTS is expected to damp the oscillations and shield the HTS field field coil depends on ampere turns requirement, rotor size, winding. The outer layer will be a high strength material at operating cryogenic temperature, operating current, parallel room temperature (a warm shield) which will act as the and perpendicular magnetic fields on HTS tape of coil etc. In damper winding and also provide AC flux shielding. Inside the general supporting structure of HTS coils is nonmagnetic steel outer warm shield will be a thermal insulation space (vacuum) with good mechanical strength at cryo temperatures. Torque that surrounds the rotor cryostat. This inner shield (the high tube is a device which transfers the torque between cryo conductivity AC flux shield) will provide some damping and, temperature field coils and room temperature shafts. It should most importantly, acts as a shield for superconducting field have good mechanical strength and low degassing property at winding against any AC fields that pass through the outer cryogenic temperatures. SS with suitable heat exchanging warm shield. system can be used as torque tubes. With recent developments The above mentioned design aspects can be used for design in fiberglass technology, high strength FRP based torque tubes and development of a reliable, compact and economical HTS can also be used based on torque requirement. Radiation shield machine. is used for reduction of radiation heat in leak to the cryogenic structure. Vacuum enclosure is used for holding the vacuum WORLD WIDE DEVELOPMENTS and to avoid convectional heat transfer to cryogenic temperature field coils and its supporting structure. Cryogen Various countries in the world developed and demonstrated HTS synchronous machines for different transfer coupling is used for transferring the cryogen from applications. A list in brief is given in Table1. stationary frame (cryocooler) to rotating frame (HTS rotor). In general, ferro fluid seal based cryogen transfer couplings are Table 1. List of HTS machines [23] used for this purpose. Vacuum port is the port where the Year Power Application Developer vacuum pump is connected for evacuation of rotor. The size of (MW) port is decided by the vacuum level and volume of evacuated 2013 0.4 Marine IHI space. The cooling of rotor can be done by conduction or 2012 3.0 Marine KHI, Korea convection process. In general, Sterling or GM cryocoolers are 2012 17.0 Hydro GE used for cryo cooling of HTS coils.[19-22] 2011 5.0 Marine Doosan 2011 1.0 Marine Wahun The stator of HTS machine has an air core construction so Institute that the air gap magnetic field can be increased without core 2010 1.0 Marine KHI loss and magnetic saturation. The laminated frame and flux 2010 4.0 Marine Siemens shield in the outer layer, are made of magnetic material which 2008 1.3 Aerospace GE act as a flux shunt or flux return path to confine the high 2007 36.5 Marine AMSC magnetic fields within the motor. A nonmagnetic and non– 2005 8.0 Utility AMSC 2004 5.0 Marine AMSC 2004 4.0 Generator Siemens 10. Masson P J et al., “Development of a 3D sizing model for 2003 1.5 Utility GE all superconducting machines for turbo-electric aircraft 2001 3.725 Industrial AMSC propulsion” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 23 3600805, 2013 11. Naoki Maki et al., "Design study of high-temperature CONCLUSIONS superconducting motors for ship propulsion systems," 2007 International Conference on Electrical Machines HTS synchronous machines with different topologies are and Systems (ICEMS), Seoul, pp. 1523-1527, 2007. discussed along with their pros and cons and their suitability 12. Y. Jiang, R. Pei, Z. Hong, Q. Jiang, and T. Coombs, to various applications. The electromagnetic, mechanical and "Design of an HTS motor," Journal of Physics: thermal (cryogenic) design aspects have been brought out for Conference Series, vol. 97, Art. no. 012123, 2008. design and development of a typical HTS synchronous 13. Victor M. R. Zermeno et al., "Simulation of an HTS machines. Some of successfully developed HTS synchronous Synchronous Superconducting Generator," Physics machines around the globe pertaining to marine, hydro, Procedia, vol. 36, pp. 786-790, 2012. aerospace and electrical utility applications have also been 14. Y. Terao, M. Sekino and H. Ohsaki, "Electromagnetic listed. The current downtrend of pricing of HTS tapes and Design of 10 MW Class Fully Superconducting Wind cryocoolers along with availability of longer length HTS tapes Turbine Generators," IEEE Transactions on Applied show a promising future of commercial HTS machines. Superconductivity, vol. 22(3), pp. 5201904-5201904, 2012. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 15. 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